Butterfly Kisses
by khay
Summary: It's Ran and Shinichi's wedding day, but with Shinichi's luck, something just HAD to go wrong...


Title: Butterfly Kisses

Author: she_lurks

Word Count: 2,715

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Detective Conan and all related characters do not belong to me (though I wish they do). The title of this fic was inspired by Bob Carlisle's song of the same title, which also does not belong to me.

Characters/Pairings: Kogoro, Shinichi+Ran

Summary: It's Ran and Shinichi's wedding day, but with his luck, something just HAD to go wrong.

Notes: This fic's nth incarnation. Hopefully, I'm finally done tinkering with this fic. Cross-posted to livejournal dot com under the name she underscore lurks.

* * *

The Great Detective of the East raked a hand through his already-tousled brown hair. To say that he was agitated was putting it mildly.

That small act didn't escape Mouri Kogoro. The boy was unraveling at the edges, something the elder detective didn't think was possible. The legendary Kudo Shinichi had a reputation for being calm when solving a murder mystery. He was, in fact, cool as ice when he faced the Black Organization. Yet, at the simple case of Ran's disappearance, the boy's icy exterior was breaking down.

Maybe the idiot did love his daughter after all.

Kudo Shinichi took a deep calming breath. He went to sleep thinking that the happiest day of his whole life had finally come, only to be woken up by a phone call that sent his almost-perfect world crumbling down.

* * *

_"Where have you taken my daughter?" Mouri Kogoro's growl grated Shinichi's ear over the phone._

_Shinichi grimaced. Even after a year of being Conan, two years as Ran's boyfriend (at least that was the _official _count), Mouri still irritated the hell out of him._

_And Shinichi was positive that the feeling was mutual._

_"What are you talking about?" Shinichi grumbled, still half-asleep._

_"Where. Is. My. Daughter?" Kogoro repeated slowly. It was clear that he was trying hard not to blow his top. _

_Shinichi bolted upright, immediately alert._

_"It's bad enough that you're taking her away from me—" Mouri's rambling was mercifully interrupted by a feminine voice ordering him to stop._

_Shinichi deduced, correctly, that the phone was taken away from the older man. Soon, he heard the voice of Mouri's estranged wife, Kisaki Eri. _

_"Ran didn't go home last night." She explained succinctly, only a break in her voice belaying her calm tone. "We don't know where she is."_

_

* * *

_

Shinichi had gone straight to the Mouri house after that, not even bothering with a shower.

"Maybe she's run off with the stripper?" Sonoko suggested. "I mean, he was so gorgeous, absolutely to die for," her eyes glazed over slightly.

"What?" Shinichi exploded. "She will not run off with a stripper. She's getting married today. To me."

"Sheesh, calm down. It's just a joke." Sonoko frowned. "Just trying to liven up the atmosphere!"

"Now isn't the time," Kudo gritted out.

"Let's just think this through calmly and reasonably." Eri suggested. "Did you look for her everywhere?"

Mouri nodded. He was obviously tired. "I woke up at four this morning and checked if she's already here. Her bed looked as if no one had slept on it." And he had been awake ever since. He searched the house and its vicinity. He tried her mobile phone only to hear it ringing from inside her room. Finally, he broke down and called his wife at five in the morning. He called Shinichi at five-thirty.

"Kazuha and I were the last persons to see her." Sonoko added. "We dropped her off here this morning at one after the bridal shower. Then my driver and I drove Kazuha-chan at her hotel."

"So that means she disappeared around one and four in the morning." Shinichi summarized. He knew Hattori Heiji and Kazuha were now out there, tearing apart the neighborhood looking for his missing fiancé. Where could she be? Then, a thought that chilled him to the bones entered his mind. But it couldn't be—

"Maybe they got to her," Mouri's face twisted into a mask of unbearable pain. "You took out the organization base here, but that doesn't mean–"

"Don't even go there!" Eri hissed at him. "I refuse to believe that!"

"Or it could one of my cases," Mouri continued as if he didn't hear anything. "Or one of your clients' enemies." He added, turning to his wife.

Shinichi highly doubted that. Ran was a strong girl who could take care of herself. If they took her, surely there would be some sign of struggle. If they took her in her sleep, then surely, they wouldn't bother to make her bed.

Something just didn't add up.

"Or maybe she changed her mind about marrying you." Mouri ended his monologue with a glare at Shinichi.

Something snapped inside Shinichi. "Of all the—"

"Stop it!" Eri ordered. "This is not helping."

Mouri grunted then started to pace around the room. He took a cigarette from his pocket and absentmindedly lit it.

"You shouldn't be doing that at a time like this," Eri scolded him as she snatched the cigarette from her husband's lips.

Mouri glared at her. His scathing retort died in his lips as he remembered his daughter doing the exact same thing not too long ago...

* * *

_"What are you doing, daddy?" Six-year old Ran demanded crossly as she climbed up a chair to grab the cigarette from her father's lips. "Mommy would be mad when she sees you."_

_Mouri didn't have the heart to tell his daughter that her mommy wouldn't see him smoking. She had left a couple of hours ago, maybe for good, she threatened, after a particularly heated argument. That hurt more than he wanted to admit. But he pushed the pain away as he looked at his daughter. _

_An evil grin formed in his lips. "I just lit that cigarette, Ran. You just wasted valuable resources. And for that, you must pay!"_

_Ran squealed as she jumped off the chair and ran around the kitchen in an attempt to evade her father's hands._

_Mouri's long limbs soon caught up with her very short ones in the living room. He lifted her up and carried her to the couch where he slumped down, easily containing the squirming little bundle in his arms._

_"Aw, daddy, no!" Ran protested between hysterical giggles._

_"You must be punished." Mouri said dramatically. "The Great Mouri Kogoro Tickle Attack!" He announced with a flourish as he laid his daughter on his lap and tickled her silly._

_"Daddy!" Ran begged between peals of laughter. "No more, daddy! No more!"_

_

* * *

_

"Uncle, are you alright?" Sonoko asked, concerned with the weird look on Mouri's face.

At the sound of his name, Mouri snapped out of his reverie. "Huh? What?"

"We can't report this incident to the police yet, she's not yet missing for twenty-four hours." Eri was saying.

Shinichi nodded. "Our best resort is to continue finding her ourselves."

"Sonoko, you try calling your classmates in school." Eri instructed.

Sonoko nodded. "I think I'll start by calling Ramon the stripper."

"Stop that!" Shinichi snapped at her. "Ran and I are getting married today."

"Again, a joke." Sonoko rolled her eyes. "Tough crowd." With a shake of her head, she gathered her purse and stood up. "I'll head on home, my class directory's there." With a wave, she was gone.

Mouri knew in his heart that Sonoko's lame attempts at humor were mistaken. He knew that his daughter loved that pain-in-the-behind boy. Even when said pain left her and only called to make her cry, she still loved him. She still loves him.

"Maybe you better stay here, Kogoro," Eri suggested. "In case she comes back."

Mouri merely nodded in agreement. It goes against the grain for him to do nothing and stay at the house, but he didn't want to waste any more time arguing. His little girl was missing.

His anger needed a target, and what target was more convenient than Shinichi. That boy who stole his baby away.

* * *

_"Is something wrong, Ran?" Kogoro asked tentatively as he walked up to his __daughter who was sitting by the window, watching the world below her._

_Ran gave a little sigh. "It's nothing, dad." She gave her father a weak smile._

_Kogoro's eyes narrowed. "It's that boy, isn't it? Did he make you cry again?" He demanded._

_"Dad," Ran protested. "Shinichi's not a boy, hasn't been for a long time. He's not making me cry," then, she reached out and took her father's hands. "And I'm not a little girl anymore, dad. I can take care of myself."_

_Kogoro turned around and walked away with a haughty "hmph!"_

_"Daddy," Ran called out to him._

_Kogoro turned around expectantly._

_"Mom and Shinichi's parents are coming over tonight for dinner. Please try not to fight with any of them." Ran pleaded._

_Kogoro merely shrugged as he once turned to walk away._

_"And dad?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I love you."_

_"Hmph!"_

_Later that night, when everyone was seated around the dining table, Kogoro watched Shinichi with narrowed eyes. His policeman's instinct was telling him that something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it in his bones._

_"Everyone, Ran and I have an important announcement to make," Shinichi declared after dessert. "Ran?"_

_Ran nodded as tears began filling her eyes._

_Shinichi reached for her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze._

_"Last night," Ran began, a reddish tinge beginning to color her cheeks. "Last night Shinichi—" _

_"I asked her to marry me," Shinichi continued, handing Ran his handkerchief when the latter's tears prevented her from continuing._

_"And I said yes," was Ran's teary finale. _

_The announcement was met with stunned silence._

_Then, Kudo Yukiko stood up, squealed, and threw her arms around her future daughter-in-law. Her husband grinned as he congratulated the newly-engaged couple. Kisaki Eri clapped her hands in delight before she kissed Shinichi on both cheeks. _

_Ran noticed that her father wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even moving._

_"Dad?" Ran asked tentatively. "Are you OK, dad?"_

_"NOOOOOOO!"_

* * *

They were already gone for an hour. It was already seven in the morning. There was no trace of Ran anywhere.

Mouri Kogoro stared out the window, hoping for news. Any news. Not knowing where his daughter is was driving him insane.

Then, he heard someone moaning.

Kogoro's eyes narrowed. That sound. There was something familiar with that sound, the sound which was coming from his bedroom.

The detective rose from his perch on the couch and investigated. The door, which he could have sworn he closed the night before, was slightly ajar. He slowly widened its opening.

"No," a voice inside pleaded.

"Ran!" Immediately, he ran towards the bed where his daughter lay, obviously in the throes of a bad dream. Tears were leaking down her face. "Ran, wake up."

The moaning stopped. But the tears still flowed. Slowly, Ran opened her eyes. "Daddy!" She cried as she hugged her father fiercely.

"Are you OK?"

Ran sniffled. "I had a nightmare," she admitted.

Kogoro hugged Ran tightly. "It's OK. Daddy's here now." Kogoro waited patiently until his daughter had ceased crying. "Why are you sleeping in my bed?" He asked as he gently wiped away the tears from her eyes.

Ran attempted a smile. "I saw you sleeping on the couch last night." she replied softly. "And I remembered how when I was little, I used to sleep here. And I thought that since this would be my last night here—" her voice trailed off.

Stupid Kogoro. He had searched everywhere for his daughter except inside his room. He never thought...

He cringed inwardly. He would surely pay for his oversight later. But then, no one else had thought to look in his room either.

"I made a mistake, Ran," he admitted. "Because of that your wedding might be delayed a little."

To his surprise, Ran shook her head. "I know you don't want me to marry Shinichi, dad," she began. "I-if you're still feel that way, then I'll call it off." she announced, her eyes, shiny with tears.

"What?"

"I dreamed that you were in trouble," Ran explained. A faraway look in her eyes clued Kogoro in that his daughter was remembering her dream. "But you were so far away. I couldn't help you. Something horrible happened, and I wasn't there to take care of you," Ran cried again as she held on to her father like a little girl. "I'm not getting married."

"But you love Kudo."

"I love you, too," Ran replied. "And you don't like him. If I have to choose between him and you—"

"No!" Kogoro declared as he gently pushed his daughter away to look into her eyes. "We're not making you choose between us, Ran. I know you love us both, and both of us love you. I know we couldn't get along, but that's no reason not to get married."

"But daddy—"

Kogoro shook his head. "I already had you to myself for fifteen years, Ran. In that time, I know that you take care of me more than I take care of you. I also know that you chose to live with me because I need looking after. And now, it's high time that someone takes care of you. Even if I don't like him, he will be the one to make you happy. And I want you to be happy, Ran."

"Daddy," tears were once again streaming down her face.

"I love you, Ran," Kogoro repeated as he felt his own eyes grow moist. "And if you don't marry that boy—er—man, I would ground you for life."

Ran kissed her father and hugged him, as if she would never let go.

And for the first time since she was a little girl and realized that her mother had left them, father and daughter cried together.

Ran took a deep breath. Her hands felt cold and clammy. Then, a pair of large, warm, and sure hands enveloped hers.

Ran turned. Her father gave her a reassuring smile.

Ran smiled back. At her left, her mother squeezed her arm.

"I wouldn't give you to anyone less than the very best." Mouri whispered.

Ran's eyes watered, but she resolutely blinked back the tears. Though Sonoko made sure that her best friend use waterproof mascara, she still made Ran promise that she wasn't going to cry.

At the altar, Shinichi was waiting for Ran. After a year of waiting, it was finally _his _turn to wait. The thought made Ran smile.

He caught her eyes. He gave her a warm, loving smile.

Somehow, between her, her parents, and Shinichi, she found the strength to get through the ceremony.

"Uncle," Shinichi began. "No," he smiled at the newest addition in his family. "Dad," he corrected himself.

Kogoro turned around to his new son-in-law. He looked around, expecting to see Ran by Shinichi's side. After all, it was the wedding reception. He was surprised to see that she wasn't there.

Shinichi shrugged. "Sonoko absolutely insisted that the girls take their picture together."

Mouri nodded as he eyed Shinichi with suspicion. "What d'ya want?" He grumbled.

"I want to thank you." Shinichi told him.

Mouri grunted. After all, the drama that morning was _his_ fault, so why was Kudo thanking him?

"Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter." Shinichi said.

_Though my wife would probably argue that it was my daughter who raised me,_ Mouri thought sourly as he raised his bottle of beer to his lips.

"And thank you for talking her out of her cold feet." Shinichi finished.

Mouri choked. "How did you—"

"I was halfway around the neighborhood when I realized that we missed something. I've been going through the places we checked for Ran's whereabouts. I didn't remember anyone saying that she's not in your bedroom. And knowing Ran's sentimental streak, I knew there was a chance that she'd be there." Shinichi explained. "So I went back and pretty much heard everything."

"I didn't do it for you." Mouri snorted. "I did it for her. You could make her happy." Then he stood up, drawing up to his full length. "But if ever you make her cry _again_," Mouri let his threat hang.

Shinichi nodded. "I know. I swear, I'll do everything in my power to make her happy."

"Good. It's nice to know that we understand each other."

A few hours later, the newly-weds, on board a limousine, were on their way to the airport for their honeymoon.

"Good bye my princess. Thank you for grazing my life with your presence." Mouri sighed as continued to stare at the vehicle that had long departed from his sight. "And if he ever makes you cry, I'll take you back. I'll kill him first, and then I'll take you back."

**END**


End file.
